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Weekly Fraser Valley Sport Fishing Column

Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column for June 10 to 17, 2013

This week we talk about fly fishing. You knew I would get here eventually; didn't you.

I find fly fishing is often a misunderstood sport, even by some who have taken it up. Fly fishing as defined on page 88, of our BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis; is angling with a line to which only an artificial fly is attached. Notice there is no mention of presentation or type of fishing rod to be used. This leaves a great latitude of possibilities, between the very basics of hand lining and the advanced skill of spey casting. I would like to believe fly fishing predates bait fishing; but that is only wishful thinking on my part. The artificial fly does however predate things such as: spoons, plugs, sinners and all other forms of hard tackle. Written records bare witness to the use of the artificial fly as far back as the Third Century BC.

So what is the ideology behind fly fishing? In short two things: thought and challenge. I believe Brian Chan said it best, when he said,

"Fly fishing is a thinking man's game."

The purpose of an artificial fly is to replicate whatever food source a fish, or school of fish, may be feeding on, as closely as humanly possible. Or as I explain it in my fly fishing classes; to match the blue plate special of the day, at the fish food caf?. The Objective of this exercise is fool fish, the challenge is to fool them consistently throughout the season, and in all the seasons to come. Fly fishing; it's a captivating game that never gets old no matter how long you play it.